Guangdong proposes tolls for new bridge

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Guangdong proposes tolls for new bridge

Citizens who drive private cars will have to fork out 150 yuan (HK$177) to cross the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, according to the Guangdong government.The Transport Department, on the request of the Guangdong Development and Reform Commission, yesterday disseminated two proposals of price lists the Guangdong authority had drawn up.In the first proposal, motorists driving private cars and those ...

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Citizens who drive private cars will have to fork out 150 yuan (HK$177) to cross the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, according to the Guangdong government.

The Transport Department, on the request of the Guangdong Development and Reform Commission, yesterday disseminated two proposals of price lists the Guangdong authority had drawn up.

In the first proposal, motorists driving private cars and those who hire vehicles will pay 150 yuan per trip, while shuttle buses and cross-boundary coaches will be charged 450 yuan.

Container trucks will pay 115 yuan per trip, while goods vehicles will only need to hand over 60 yuan.

The second proposal retains most of the arrangements in the first one, but the only difference is that cross-boundary coaches would pay 200 yuan per trip.

A hearing will be held from 9.30am to noon on December 21 in Zhuhai to see which proposal is prefered.

A spokesman for the Transport Department explained that since the main bridge and toll plaza are located in mainland waters, the Bridge Authority will collect tolls from all vehicles. This is in accordance with the territoriality principle and the agreement signed by the three governments.

The spokesman also said toll charges will be approved according to mainland laws and procedures once the three governments have completed all relevant discussions.

Legislative Council transport panel chairman Ben Chan Han-pan said his party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, had wanted to lower the charge for private cars to 100 or 140 yuan.

"We don't expect to make big profits from the bridge, we only hope it can bring convenience to citizens," Chan said.

However, Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting doesn't expect the proposed fares to be a huge burden for drivers.

But with the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge set to open in 2022, Lam said it could compete with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge when it comes to traffic.